Case Number 19764: Small Claims Court

ASTONISHING X-MEN: GIFTED

The Charge

The Case

Marvel Exec #1: "I have a great, new idea. Seriously, it's cutting edge;
it will be the future of our industry!"

Marvel Exec #2: "Okay, shoot. We're still feeling the pinch of that
whole bankruptcy thing, so we could use some new ideas."

Marvel Exec #1: "So we take comics, but we make them move. We
give our fans moving comics!"

Marvel Exec #2: "Ummm...that's not new, it's called
animation."

Maybe that's not how it actually went down, but at some point the decision
was made to take the art from a traditional comic format and use technology to
bring it to life. I'm not sure who decided motion comics were a good idea or
when, but I really don't see the need to cram a new medium into the relatively
narrow space between comics and animation. For me at least, I'm in a totally
different mood and head space when I choose to read a comic than when I sit down
to watch an animated series or feature and I see a need for both mediums. Motion
comics on the other hand, seem to lie in a strange wasteland that mixes a budget
too limited for full animation with a desire to tart up a traditional paneled
hard-copy format.

Allow me to set the stage by saying that Astonishing X-Men: Gifted is
one of Marvel's first motion comic projects and that Marvel editor-in-chief Joe
Quesada and industry legend Neal Adams were intimately involved in the project,
so we know it was in skilled and caring hands. Let's not forget the source
material either: Gifted is the first arc in one of the strongest entries
the X-Men comic series has ever seen. Written by none other than Joss Whedon
(Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly...shall I
continue?) and illustrated by John Cassaday (Captain America, Uncanny X-Men);
Gifted follows Emma Frost (Erica Schroder), Beast (Mike Pollock), Cyclops
(Gregory Abbey), Wolverine (Marc Thompson), and Kitty Pride (Eileen Stevens) as
they reform the team in a climate of renewed distrust for mutants. Little do the
X-Men know that renowned scientist Dr. Kavita Rao (Eva Christensen) has joined
forces with a mysterious alien called Ord (Michael Alston Baley) to develop a
"cure" to the mutant gene that tears a ragged division between mutants
who would give anything to be normal and those who feel their powers are a
gift.

I confess that I had never gotten around to reading The Watchmen
until the film was released and I felt more of a sense of urgency to read the
graphic novel first. Needless to say, as a fan of comic books from the time I
could grip paper, I devoured that book as millions had before me. Around the
time the film was released, we were also treated to Watchmen: The Complete
Motion Comic. With that release setting my expectations fairly high, I was
looking forward to seeing the same process used to bring my beloved X-Men to
life. While the motion process used on Gifted creates some very cool
moments and brings legendary characters to life, there were many moments
throughout the six-episode series that were either too awkward, hyper real
(The Polar Express anyone?) or clunky, throwing me out of the story. The
voice acting is strong for the most part and while some of the actors are better
than others, the casting works. The image and colors are sharp throughout all
the episodes, remaining faithful to the source material and while the audio mix
isn't out of the park, it delivers a feature-grade soundtrack, effects and
dialog with equal clarity.

Surprisingly, Marvel Knights Animation, a new dedicated motion comics arm of
the parent company, and Shout! Factory have delivered a better-than-average
assortment of extras on this release that should keep even rabid X-Fans happy. A
short interview with Joe Quesada and Neal Adams is the strongest feature, as we
hear from the two legends how the project came to be and what it may mean for
the future of Marvel and the comic medium in general. Additional extras include
a Gifted music video and trailer; a text-only history of the X-Men;
"Behind the Scenes: Marvel Knights Animation" that digs a bit more
deeply into the creation of a motion comic; a still gallery of some of artist
John Cassaday's work; three episodes of the goofy Robot Chicken wannabe
"Marvel Superheroes: What the -- ?!"; and trailers for other Marvel
Knights Animation motion comic projects.

The Verdict

Gifted is a neat experience, especially for fans of Wolverine and the
gang, but the motion comic process is still a bit rough and its purpose too
vague for me to get very excited about, at least for now. Marvel is remanded to
their underground research labs to keep working on the process and purpose
behind this new medium. We're looking forward to future projects.